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Somerville Pollinator Action Plan

Photo courtesy of Nick Dorian/Tufts Pollinator Initiative

View the SPAP Advisory Committee Charter

Contact: SPAP@somervillema.gov 

Somerville Pollinator Action Plan

Due to habitat loss and pesticide use, pollinator populations are declining in New England and worldwide. In response, Mayor Ballantyne’s Office and the Division of Public Space and Urban Forestry (PSUF) are developing a Somerville Pollinator Action Plan (SPAP) to identify spatial and behavioral interventions that create the best habitat for pollinators and wildlife in the city. 

The SPAP will:

• Focus on understanding and supporting both Somerville-specific and regional pollinators within the city’s network of urban open spaces
• Educate both public servants and city residents on the interdependence of urban habitat, pollinators, and ecosystem functions, and the ways in which residents can support Somerville-appropriate pollinator habitat. PSUF will also collaborate with the Tufts Pollinator Initiative to produce and implement the SPAP.

Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Advisory Committee

The SPAP Advisory Committee (SPAPAC) was formed to guide the development of the plan and to direct public outreach and education strategies. Applications closed on October 21st, 2022.

Follow Our Work:
You can find updates, relevant documents, opportunities to participate, and meeting links on our SomerVoice page: http://voice.somervillema.gov/somerville-pollinator-action-plan.
 

Objectives

• Provide a space for an exchange of information, citizen and stakeholder input, and deliberation. 
• Advise and collaborate with City staff and a consultant team composed of experts in pollination, ecology, horticulture, and the urban environment, to understand the interventions that a municipality can perform to create the best environment to nurture pollinators. 
• Attend and facilitate public meetings and outreach events aimed at educating people about the importance of urban pollinators. 
• Help coordinate and run events to get input from the broader Somerville community about the SPAP. 
• Assist in synthesizing community feedback and identifying key issues and ideas for the consultant team. 
• Generate ideas about programs that could increase pollinator habitat on private land. 

Scope

Once formed, the SPAPAC will: 

• Review Pollinator Plans and guidebooks from other municipalities, acknowledging that there are few and that Somerville’s will be one of the first. 
• Assist in generating and reviewing the scope of work for inclusion in the Request for Proposal (RFP) with guidance from the City’s Procurement and Contracting Services (PCS) Department. 
• Review and evaluate proposals submitted in response to the RFP for the Pollinator Action Plan Consultant with guidance from PCS. 
• If interviews are part of the evaluation process, work with PSUF to interview the consultant teams with guidance from PCS. 
• Compose a memo with a recommendation to the Mayor for hiring a team. 
• Once a consultant team is selected, review and discuss drafts of the SPAP. 
• Participate in public events to inform residents about the SPAP and work on the implementation of the Plan. The SPAPAC serves an advisory role in the creation of the SPAP and will refrain from direct involvement in additional processes unless its scope is officially amended. Individual committee members are free to participate in other planning and project review processes, but the group is formed to work only on the SPAP. 

Membership

This Community Engagement Group is designed to include representation of the key interests and concerns of direct and indirect stakeholders, and will be composed of seven to 10 members, which will include the following: 

• General Community Member 
• General Community Member 
• Member of the Somerville Conservation Commission 
• Member of the Urban Forestry Committee 
• PSUF Representative 
• City Urban Forester 
• Representatives from the Department of Public Works involved in care of the City’s trees and/or landscapes 
• Relevant (and different) Non-Profit Group Member 
• Relevant (and different) Non-Profit Group Member 
• Youth Member (Somerville resident under the age of 25) 

A representative from each of these categories will be selected through an application process and appointed by the Mayor. 

Membership Terms

• Members will serve a one-year volunteer term. 
• There will be two meetings per month for the first four months, and then one meeting per month while the Plan is being written. The committee’s work and the creation of the SPAP is anticipated to take one year. 
• Participation in public outreach events is encouraged. 

Please email SPAP@somervillema.gov with any questions.

Park List and Maps

There are more than 80 parks and open spaces throughout the City of Somerville. Visit the links below for information on a specific park, and please note the City of Somerville's park rules:

• All City parks are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages is not allowed.
• If dogs are allowed, you need to keep your dog on a leash. You can find a list of on and off-leash parks here.
• Water features are on, in season,  from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. They are on timers and there is a rest time between cycles. Please be patient. Do not hit the activator buttons with excessive force. For a map of the city’s Pools & Water Features, click here.
• We allow service animals for people with disabilities at all City parks.
• You may need a recreational permit to use athletic fields or to use a park for an event. Visit the Somerville Parks and Recreation website at somervillerec.com for more information.
• Neither grills nor open flames may be used in any City parks.

Park Maps

• CDBG Street Trees Map
• Map of Somerville Parks
• Interactive Map of Parks and Community Gardens
• Interactive Map of Parks with Water Play Features
• Park Activities and Amenities

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot? Check Out Our Pools and Water Sprays!

Plans and Reports

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